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The Galloping Ghost was a Union-class DropShip. Between ca. 3020 and 3025, while under the command of Captain Richardson and assigned to deploy the BattleMechs of McKinnon's Raiders, it crashlanded in a shallow sea on the water world of Hun-Ho after spinning out of control due to a malfunction. McKinnon's Raiders subsequently successfully defended the vessel from elements of Mad McGee's Cutthroats by delaying the attackers until repairs to the DropShip allowed it to open up with one of its main guns. At this point the Cutthroats withdrew, unaware that the DropShip was in fact only capable of firing that one shot due to its damaged condition.[1]

The Galloping Ghost may have been equipped with a non-standard weapons layout. It apparently had a very powerful main gun (or battery of main guns) that could destroy a BattleMech with a single shot, possibly a Naval Laser or other naval grade weaponry (see Notes).

It is unclear if the Galloping Ghost could be salvaged from Hun Ho, but circumstances suggest McKinnon's Raiders successfully left the planet again, implying they traveled on the same ship.

By 3048 McKinnon's Raiders were deployed to Thestria, Valentina and Cassias from a DropShip named Galloping Ghost again which seems to be either the same ship or a similar vessel.[2]

According to the special scenario rules, the ship has unspecified main guns capable of destroying a 'Mech with a single shot. This main gun was observed to produce a "huge burst of light" when firing. The gun will destroy a random enemy 'Mech anywhere on the game board if hitting with a to-hit roll of 9 regardless of distance, which can be up to 28 hexes on the game board according to the scenario setup, though it cannot attack prone 'Mechs. This seems to suggest that the Galloping Ghost was equipped with unusually powerful weapons for main guns. However, it should be noted that the source of this information was one of the very first scenario packs ever released for BattleTech, and the stats for a Union-class DropShip may not have been determined yet at the time it was written. The book does not treat the Galloping Ghost as modified or unusual in any way and seems to suggest its armament is in fact normal for a DropShip.